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CHRISTY HENDERSON
The Lord Will Answer
Overcoming the Isolating and
Often Silent War on Depression
Sarah Rein
“Then your light will break forth like the
dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear
guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will
answer; you will cry for help, and he will say:
Here am I.” – Isaiah 58:8-9
Christy, what were you like growing up?
Actually, I was recently thumbing through old pictures.
Thats always fun to do. I come from a big Italian family - my
twin brother and I are the youngest of five children. So, there
was always a lot of energy in my home—especially around the
holidays.
I can remember fun memories of playing in my neighborhood.
I was a tough little girl. There were no girls my age around, but I
loved riding bikes and playing sports and could hang with all the
little boys. I had a huge imagination, so a lot of my time was spent
playing creatively. Drawing and painting. I would make pretend
farms and barns for my pretend animals. I spent hours in the
sandbox and on my swingset. I think people would have viewed
me as a shy, quiet child, but under the surface, I felt a lot of deep
emotions...some were pleasant, and some were really difficult.
I’ve always had a highly sensitive soul—meaning I experienced
things in life vividly. Still do. That goes for beauty in life.
I see colors and things in nature that other people might not
notice, and music will move me to tears at times. I am able to
experience the greatest joy...but also deep darkness. I remember
being young and sensing things around me that were definitely
dark, even spiritual darkness, that I had no language for. That was
terrifying at times.
You know, high sensitivity often has a negative connotation.
But I hope people see that it’s part of some of our wiring. I believe
it’s a gift. We are able to experience life to the fullest. If I could go
back and talk to myself as “little girl Christy,” I would encourage
her to speak out about her brilliant emotions—the things that she
is sensing and not hold them in. I would hold her and listen to all
of the stories behind the difficult feelings. Because of some
traumatic things that I experienced, I think all of the anxiety and
sadness got stuck inside me and I began feeling a very heavy
darkness. I can remember having my first depressive time as a
seven-year-old. This became a pattern for me from then on.
Hometown RANKIN • 37